Study of association of Eu(III) β-diketonato-1,10-phenanthroline complexes in silica-based hybrid materials

Abstract Hybrid organic-inorganic materials based on silica and mixed-ligand complexes of Eu(III) with β -diketones and 1,10-phenanthroline with covalent and non-covalent attachment to matrix were obtained by a sol-gel route. Luminescent study of obtained systems allowed to propose spectral criteria for estimation of the uniformity of complex distribution in amorphous silica matrix. Thus, such criteria are the broadening of Eu(III) 4f-luminescence bands, emission decay and the shape of plot of the emission intensity vs. concentration of complex in the materials. Full width of 5 D 0 → 7 F 2 band at its half maximum and the ratio of the 5 D 0 → 7 F 2 and 5 D 0 → 7 F 1 bands intensities were used as quantitative measures of spectral changes and the bands broadening in Eu(III) emission spectra.